Swimming pool cover



Jan. 18, 1966 R. R. KNODEL SWIMMING POOL COVER Filed April a, 1965 FIG. 5

1N VEN TOR.

ROBERT R KNODEL Bygwwom QQ/ZM ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,229,309 SWIh/IMING POUL COVER Robert R. Knodel, Garden Grove, Calif. (136 E. 6th Ave., Anchorage, Alaska) Filed Apr. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 271,068 2 Claims. (Cl. 4-172) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in swimming pool covers.

A broad objective of the present invention is to provide a swimming pool cover which is simplified in its construction and application and which functions eillciently to cover the pool to keep out foreign articles.

More particular objects of the present invention cornprise the provision of a swimming pool cover which in a preferred arrangement utilizes a stretch material as the cover, facilitating the application of the cover to pools of various sizes and shapes and which due to its stretch Construction is, prior to installation, small in size and thus compact for storage and handling; and to provide novel mounting means for the cover facilitating ready mounting and dismounting thereof.

Another object is to provide a swimming pool cover employing a stretch fabric and variable connecting means to accomplish selected connected engagement of said cover.

Briefly stated, the present swimming pool cover employs an anchor cord extending around the periphery of the pool on the deck surface thereof and disposed a short distance back from the pool edge. Mounted on this anchor cord are hook members arranged releasably to engage a cover member adapted to span the pool. The engageable connection of the hook members and the cover is accomplished through the medium of reinforced strip portions on the cover having a plurality of apertures for adjustable connection to the hook members. In a preferred arrangement, the cover member is constructed of a stretch material readily conformable to the shape of the pool.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects thereof will become more apparent from the accompanying specification and claims considered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a swimming pool showing the peripheral anchor cord installed in place, the cover member itself not being shown;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of a pool section showing the cover member installed thereon;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary plan view similar to FIG- URE 2 but greatly enlarged.

Referring in particular to the drawings and rst to FIGURE 1 there is shown a swimming pool 10 having an inner defining edge 12. The pool may be of varied shapes such as rectangular, oval, etc., but is shown herein as being of irregular shape to illustrate the functionality of the present cover, as will be pointed out in more detail hereinafter. The pool 1l) has the usual surrounding deck 14.

Forming a part of the invention are a plurality of anchor bolts 16, FIGURE 3, permanently set in the deck 14. Bolts 16 have head portions 18 elevated from the body thereof by neck portions 20 of reduced diameter.

Adapted for releasable connection with the bolts 16 are anchor clips 22 having keyhole slots 24, FIGURES 3 and 5, which receive the necks 20. The end of anchor clips 22 have eye portions 26.

Mounted in the eyes 26 of clips 22 is an anchor cord or line 28. This cord preferably is formed of a substantially non-stretchable rope material or wire. The anchor clips 22 may, as shown in FIGURE 3, be permanently connected to the cord but alternatively the eye 26 thereof may be partly open for releasable engagement. At any rate, it is preferred that the clips 22 be slidable on the cord 28 for slidable adjustment on the cord to the position of the anchor bolts 16.

Mounted on the anchor cord 28 are a plurality of hooks 30, best seen in FIGURE 4, having an eye portion 32 for attachment to the cord. As in the case of the anchor clips 22, the hooks 30 may have releasable connection with the cord 28 but in any event such hooks are slidably associated with said cord. v

Adapted to be connected to the anchor cord 28 through the medium of hooks 30 is a cover member 34 which employs a plurality of equally spaced, integral reinforcing strips 36 leading inwardly from the peripheral edge thereof at substantially a right angle to the edge. These strips may comprise heavy fabric such as canvas or other suitable rugged and weather resisting material, and are applied by adhesive, stitching or other appropriate means. Strips 36 are provided with a plurality of apertures 38 disposed in spaced relation along the longitudinal center thereof and are adapted for engagement by the hooks 30 to support the cover in spanned relation across the pool 0n the anchor cord 28.

In a preferred construction the cover member 34 is formed of a stretch material. Such material is presently available to the trade and comprises a rugged and weather resistant material, usually principally nylon. Such structure is woven in the form of a mesh which has minute apertures and prevents the penetration therethrough of all foreign articles except extremely iine material, even in its fully expanded condition. Thus, even though fully expanded, the present cover prevents substantially all dirt and foreign articles from getting into the pool. Illustrative material available in the trade for use as the cover member comprise Antron and Spandex- In the installation of the present pool cover the anchor bolts 16 are set in the decking a few inches back from the pool edge. Anchor clips 22 are mounted on the cord 28 and then attached to the bolts 16. As stated hereinbefore, the clips 22 are slidably mounted on the anchor cord 28 and thus adjustment of the clips to the bolts 16 is readily accomplished.

Thereupon, the hooks 30 are engaged with the apertures 38 in strips 36 on the cover, the cover llrst being attached at one end and being stretched and connected to succeeding hooks as it is stretched. Since the strips 36 employ a plurality of apertures 38, adjustable connection to the cover is accomplished as required to tighten the fabric. FIGURE 2 illustrates adjustable connection of the hooks 30 with the strips 36 wherein connection to different ones of the holes 38 in the strips is accomplished. As seen in FIGURE 4, the end of the strips outwardly from the hole engaged by its hook 30, together with the fabric, is turned under.

The stretch cover 34, in adidtion to providing an effective pool cover, has a compact size when not in use, namely, in its contracted condition, and thus facilitates handling and storage. Furthermore, such material being expandable will readily conform to pools of varying size and shape.

Floats 40, FIGURE l, preferably are placed in the pool prior to application of the cover to hold the cover off the water surface` Although the floats are not necessary, they are desirable since when the cover 34 becomes wet by precipitation its weight increases and it may sag into the water. The floats prevent such water contact and of course also assist in relieving excessive pull on the connecting strips 36 and anchor cord. It is preferred that the cover 34 be of suflicient elastic strength as to support a person shouldthe latter accidentally fall on the cover. However, since oats 40 are used, no single span of the cover is over a few feet long and the cover material need not be so heavy as to make it economically unfeasible, since even though it may sag slightly under the weight of the person, he can still Walk or crawl out.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims. v

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A cover for swimming pools having a bounding portion, said cover comprising a flexible anchor cord adapted to be secured peripherally of the pool to the bounding portion, a cover member of stretch material which in contracted condition is of less dimension than the defining area of a pool to be covered, hook means attached to said anchor cord, and means on said cover member releasably engageable by said hook means to hold the cover member in a stretched condition at least as large as and flatwise over the pool.

2. A cover for swimming pools having a bounding portion, said cover comprising a plurality of anchor bolts adapted to be secured in spaced relation in the bounding portion outwardly from the edge of the pool, clip members releasably attached to said anchor bolts, a ilexible anchor cord extending around the pool in a secured sliding engagement with said clip members, hook means slidably secured to said anchor cord, a cover member of stretch material which in contracted condition is of less dimension than the dening area of a pool to be covered, and inwardly extending reinforcing strips on said cover member having a plurality of apertures spaced in a line longitudinally on said strips for selective engagement by said hook means to stretch the cover member in taut relation at least as large as and ilatwise over the pool.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 761,806 6/1904 Woodhouse 182-139 2.580,555 1/1952 Kroeger 4-172 2,952,024 9/ 1960 Bartolucci 4-172 2,958,872 11/1960 Meyer 4-172 2,991,841 7/1961 Sampson et al. 182-139 3,110,908 11/1963 Newgard 4-172 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD V. BENHAM, LEWIS I. LENNY, Examiners. 

1. A COVER FOR SWIMMING POOLS HAVING A BOUNDING PORTION, SAID COVER COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE ANCHOR CORD ADAPTED TO BE SECURED PERIPHERALLY OF THE POOL OF THE BOUNDING PORTION, A COVER MEMBER OF STRETCH MATERIAL WHICH IN CONTRACTED CONDITION IS OF LESS DIMENSION THAN THE DEFINING AREA OF A POOL TO BE COVERED, HOOK MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID ANCHOR CORD, AND MEANS ON SAID COVER MEMBER RELEASABLY ENGAGEABLY BY SAID HOOK MEANS TO HOLD THE COVER MEMBER IN A STRETCHED CONDITION AT LEAST AS LARGE AS SAID FLATWISE OVER THE POOL. 